Imperial
by Aria Illusine
Summary: AU As dictated by the betrothal agreement, Princess Sakura of Konoha must journey to the Fire Kingdom to become acquainted with her fiance, but life in the Imperial Court is a tangle of magic and deception that Sakura may not survive to reach the altar.
1. Mild Reservations

So...while I REALLY ought to be finishing up the next chapter of Belonging if I'm going to be writing at all this quarter, I fell into the nefarious clutches of this plot bunny, and wouldn't leave me alone until I got the first chapter done. I figured I'd post it to appease my readers and let you guys know that I haven't actually fallen off the face of the earth but rather got caught up in a very busy quarter and will write more fanfiction as soon as I have a spare minute XD

Sorry if this is kind of confusing. It's a rough draft and it doesn't get clearer for another chapter or two, so I put some notes down at the bottom of the chapter to clarify a few things for everyone. Other than that, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto...then ItaSaku would be canon, girls would play a bigger part in the series, and many other things would be different... I must also admit that the Emperor and Princess thing stemmed from wanting Tamora Pierce to write a legitimate Kaddar and Kalasin book.

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**Imperial**

**Chapter 1: Mild Reservations**

"You are fulfilling a grave duty, my daughter. You take with you a promise of nations and a more solid treaty for peace than Konoha and the Fire Kingdom have had in years. I wish you well, Sakura."

"I will do your bidding, your Majesty."

Her sleek, rose-hued hair pinned back in several intricate braids as opposed to her usual loose waterfall, Sakura bowed…and then flung herself into her mother's arms.

"Sorry, Mother," she apologized as she squeezed and let go, sliding beside her mother onto the couch where the woman sat. "It's still a lot to take in."

Tsunade's amber eyes softened. Sakura was only seventeen; in spite of having been betrothed to her fiancé for the last four years, this was still the first time she would be traveling to another kingdom without her brother and at least half the court. While the rose-headed girl was no coward, the changes would have daunted even braver souls than her.

"You know you won't be alone," Tsunade reassured her, slipping from the more formal Queen-speech to the way she usually spoke. "We wouldn't send you out on your own."

"I know," Sakura said, her laugh only a little forced. "I'll have both Neji and Shino of the Jounin Guard with me, as well as Yamato of ANBU and Ibiki's interrogation, sorry, _inquiry_ team. Oh, and Ebisu."

"Plenty of people," Tsunade agreed with pride for her daughter clear in her eyes. "Now, let us go," she said, her speech pattern growing more formal again as she rose to her feet and smoothed the viridian-and-cream silk of her gown with calm hands. "Your departure time draws nigh and your brother would not forgive me if I gave him no time to bid you farewell."

Sakura sighed softly as she followed her mother to the door. "I wish you wouldn't talk so formally like this when we're alone. It's too strange."

"You will have to get used to it in a hurry," her mother informed her sternly. "This is a natural mode of speech for Fire Kingdom nobility."

"Oh, _slugs_," Sakura muttered under her breath.

"And no swearing!"

Making a very un-princess-like face, Sakura bit down on the retort that 'slugs' did not actually qualify as a curse.

Years ago, as children, she and her brother had been admonished for swearing, so they had decided to use everyday words instead to express their feelings. In retrospect, using the animal patrons of their parents had probably not been a terribly wise move. Still, to Sakura, using _frogs_ and _slugs_ as curses was a constant source of amusement.

"Sakura!"

The rosy-headed girl's head shot up from her perusal of the marble floor she'd been smirking at to see her brother bearing down on her from down the hall with an excited expression on his face.

"Sakura!"

About to reply in kind, Sakura had the breath knocked out of her as her twin brother cannoned into her midsection.

"Naru-Naruto!" she wheezed as soon as she could draw breath, "Let…go…"

"Sorry!" the rambunctious blond replied, loosening his grip on his sister a little and wincing as he realized he'd run into her in full chainmail armor.

"You really need to learn to grow up, dobe," a scornful deadpan intoned from farther down the corridor.

Glancing over her brother's shoulder, Sakura's viridian eyes connected with the obsidian orbs of the one who had grown to be as close to her as her family since he had first arrived at the palace four years ago.

"Shut up, teme," Naruto replied flippantly, using terms in the old language of the Fire Kingdom they had all learned from Sasuke in the last couple of years, remaining wrapped around the viridian-eyed girl. "I'm not going to see Sakura for a while; I need to get in my hugs while I can. It's not like Sakura minds, right?" he asked, turning blue eyes, full of conviction, on the girl in his arms.

"Of course not," Sakura reassured him with a beaming smile and a friendly squeeze, ignoring how the breeches and traveling gown she wore on top of those wrinkled as she did so.

Naruto continued to nuzzle her affectionately as the sarcastic, dark-haired teen and a snowy-headed man drew up to them.

"And this is our kingdom's future King, my heir," the man almost groaned, running a large hand through his bushy-white hair.

"Hello, Father," Sakura greeted, managing to pull off a curtsey with a blond attached to her shoulders.

Jiraiya, king and monarch of Konoha and a father of two, beamed down at his daughter. "Hello, girl. Ready to be off?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied confidently, all traces of her earlier uncertainty gone.

"You seem to be forgetting just whose daughter she is," Tsunade said tartly, a tiny smirk teasing across her features, placing her hands on her hips with a sharply raised eyebrow to accent her point.

"Yours, yours, I'd never forget," Jiraiya hastily assured his wife, "And mine too," he added, winking at his son and daughter.

Sakura found herself laughing at the old joke that, on any other occasion, would have made her groan in unison with her brother. In the back of her mind, she couldn't forget that it might be months until she heard it again.

"Sakura, it is almost time."

The chatter of her parents and brother quieted, and even Sakura paled momentarily.

"Oh, good going, Sasuke-teme," Naruto growled. "You just ruined the mood."

"No swearing, Naruto," Tsunade admonished. "Sasuke is right, the escort should be assembled by now."

"We will take your leave, your Majesties," Sasuke said with reserved politeness.

"No, no," Jiraiya countered with equal placidity. "We will see you off."

And with a kind of grimness that was a little too unsettling for Sakura's tastes, the five of them set off through the castle's corridors, silent to the point that Sakura longed for the stable yards to bring some noise to the group.

The stable yard, when they reached it, was exactly as she'd expected it to be: loud.

Mounts were being checked for last-minute inspections by palace hostlers as the escort Sakura was to take with her to the Fire Kingdom stood around chatting with an air of excitement about them.

A blonde in purple laughed and gesticulated to a brunette in Jounin Guard gear in red and white to one side. In front of them, a trio of knights inspected a scroll, two thoroughly debating its contents while the third made lazy comments on the side. Next to them, a younger member of the Jounin Guard relaxed in the supplies wagon with his friend seated next to him munching on a heel of travel bread. On the wagon's other side, two more knights in forest green discussed the trip's glorious endeavor at the tops of their lungs.

It was such a relief from all the silence that Sakura couldn't blame Naruto for practically bounding into the midst of the green-clad knights with a cry of "Lee! Sir Gai!"

"Prince Naruto!"

Lee's voice carried well, turning everybody's heads to the new arrivals. "And Princess Sakura! Your Majesties! Lord Sasuke!"

"Hello, Sir Lee," Sakura greeted with a genuine grin as she used the title the young man had won only a couple of months ago. "Are we ready to be off?"

"We are ready to leave as soon as you like!" the young knight reassured her excitably.

'_As soon as I like? Does this mean we're never leaving?_' Sakura's mind quipped a little wryly.

=*~*~*=

"I'm really going to be fine, Naruto," Sakura assured her brother one last time. "I'll send word as soon as I arrive."

"As soon as you arrive," Naruto reiterated solemnly as he let go of the reins of Sakura's mount.

Chuckling to herself at Naruto's persistence, Sakura nudged her chestnut bay mare's head to the open road and followed the members of her forward guard out. She forced herself not to look back at the last minute. Seeing her family waving her off was a sight Sakura knew would not help to keep back her tears.

For several miles the travel was decently fast-paced to make up for their loitering earlier, and it wasn't until mid-afternoon that a halt was called.

"Drink, princess?"

Sakura smiled easily as she slid out of the saddle and turned to face the man who had known her since childhood.

"Thanks, Kakashi," she coughed, accepting the flask he offered gratefully. "I forgot just how dusty the roads to the Fire Kingdom are."

Swallowing a few mouthfuls of water to clear her throat, she handed the flask back to the older man.

Her senior by fourteen years, Lord Sir Hatake Kakashi, Duke of the White Fang, appeared nothing like the imposing figure of his reputation. His soft, silver-white hair was messily spiky and fell into a single dark eye. The other was covered by an eyepatch that, Sakura knew, concealed an eye that gleamed crimson and channeled Kakashi's considerable magical talent. His clothes were plain for a duke, cut in the serviceable fashion of knights who commonly took to the field, and definitely strange wear for the man who was Commander of the Jounin Guard. He had taught her much of the basics of controlling her magical powers before Shizune and her mother had taken over when her talent in healing was discovered, and trained her in swordplay along with other members of the Jounin Guard when she had been younger.

"Nervous?"

"Huh?"

Jolted out of her thoughts by Kakashi's question, Sakura felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. "Sorry Kakashi, I didn't mean to be so distracted," she apologized, still pink. "I'm fine."

"Of course," Kakashi replied, not in the least taken in by Sakura's words. She had never been able to fool him, as a child or even now as an adult. "Well, we're going to start off again soon, but we'll be going at a slower pace so that the boy glowering at me can stop and talk to you," he said, cheerfully flippant as he gestured with a thumb over his shoulder.

Surprised, Sakura glanced behind the man to notice that Sasuke was, indeed, glaring daggers at the back of Kakashi's head.

"Um…"

"Oh, I don't mind," Kakashi remarked, flashing Sakura one of his trademark serene smiles. "I knew he wanted to talk to you."

'_And you decided to talk to me and take up my attention anyway??_' Sakura wondered a little incredulously, unable to keep her lips from curving into the mischievous grin that Kakashi found most amusing.

With an answering smile, Kakashi turned away, pitching his quiet voice so that everyone in the clearing heard him without a problem.

Watching the knight commander walk back to his mount, Sakura mused how somehow the slump-shouldered figure drew command on himself like a mantle in a way that rivaled her parents. A shaky smile crept across her pale features, her riding gloves protecting her from digging her nails straight into her palms as her hands balled into fists. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax.

'_Didn't think I'd be such a crybaby,_' Sakura chided herself as she followed after her former teacher to where the horses stood waiting. '_I'm not going to cry. I'll see Kakashi and my family again eventually._'

But it wasn't until she was back in the saddle and the entire train was on the trail that she could smile without the expression wobbling.

Once she had her feelings under control, she nudged her horse forward to match pace with the still grim-looking Sasuke on his jet-black gelding.

He turned a little in his saddle to catch her gaze as she rode to his side.

"Sakura."

The girl fixed him with clear, viridian eyes, purpose in their depths. "Sasuke, I want to know more about my fiancé."

The dark-haired male looked only slightly perturbed as he nodded in acquiescence to her request.

Sakura took a deep breath. "Tell me about Prince Itachi."

=*~*~*=

"Itachi-kou."

The Imperial Prince turned away from the window to face his older cousin, his ivory-pale face nearly emotionless.

But Shisui could see the hint of tension around Itachi's eyes.

"Shisui. Do Mother and Father need me?" the prince asked, taking several steps towards his cousin that, of course, had everything to do with his dutiful behavior as Imperial Prince and nothing to do with the view outside….

"Yes, the Empress wanted to speak to you about the delegation from Konoha before they arrived tomorrow," Shisui informed his younger cousin, sharp jet-black eyes trained keenly on the Imperial Prince's face.

"Mother should have no reason to worry," Itachi murmured softly, his brows drawing together in a faint frown that melted into a wry expression that might just have bordered on a smirk. "I am not Sasuke-kun."

"Regardless," Shisui laughed. "The Empress wishes to see you. You know better than I that it is best not to keep her waiting."

With a curt nod, Itachi strode past his cousin, vacating the room with surprising alacrity. Watching him stride away, Shisui mused how that stride would have constituted as running away had it not been Uchiha Itachi who had been vacating the premises.

Still smiling at the thought, Shisui moved to the window that Itachi had been gazing out of not five minutes ago.

The vista was lushly green, the maples on the forest fringe rustling in the late spring breeze. Between the trees, a wide carriage path was just barely visible from the window. It was not lost on Shisui that it was the same path that the Konoha envoy would travel on to make their way to the Imperial Palace.

'_Who is it you're waiting for, Itachi?_' Shisui mused to himself thoughtfully as he pulled back from the open window. '_Sasuke-kun…or someone else?_'

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So, here's some information to clear up any confusing points you might have had.

**Princess vs. Hime:** You might have picked up on the fact that, while Itachi and Shisui have used honorifics like -kun and -kou (that means prince in Japanese according to the Denshi Jisho), Sakura and everyone in Konoha doesn't. The reason behind that is because I wanted to give Konoha a more...medieval Europe type feeling as opposed to the Fire Kingdom's obviously Japanese aura. Basically, everyone from both Konoha and the Fire Kingdom speak the same language, but the Fire Kingdom dialect is peppered with words from their own archaic language (Japanese). I just wanted Itachi to be able to call Sakura, "Sakura-hime" and have the constant "dobe/teme" thing stay in place.

**Konoha Armed Forces:** There are three levels to the armed services in this version of Konoha. There's the Jounin Guard, which basically translates to knights. They're the ones who get called "Sir" and are led by Kakashi. Then there's ANBU, who are the Elite Guardians to the royal family of Konoha. The only member of Sakura's escort who is a current ANBU member is Yamato/Tenzou, but Kakashi has obviously been in ANBU before...as you'll see in the next chapter. I think. I haven't written it yet. XD Finally, there's the Irregulars, who basically function as agents of the Konoha spymaster (I picked Shino's dad. I seem to be favoring Shino lately...). Members of the Irregulars include Ibiki and his Inquiry team (Shika-Ino-Chou), Anko and Genma, and a few other people we may or may not hear of in future chapters.

**Itachi and Sasuke:** Sasuke's obviously been staying in Konoha...and Itachi is obviously still in the Fire Kingdom. What happened? That'll be revealed soon so I won't say much, just that the brothers are NOT estranged and have a decent relationship as can be expected for two people who have seen each other maybe a handful of times in the last four years.

**Itachi and Sakura:** Sakura makes it obvious that she's been to the Fire Kingdom before, and that was nearly six years ago. The betrothal between herself and Itachi four years prior to the beginning of this story was done entirely by courier. The two individuals in question didn't actually say a word to the other the entire process. Exactly three letters were sent back and forth between them while it was happening. But who did the sending and who did the receiving will hopefully be revealed later.

**The Why and Wherefore:** I decided I'd try my hand at something a little more dramatic, though there'll still be ample humor in this fic. I wanted a fic where Sakura and Itachi were going to have to work through their differences to survive the hurdles of the Imperial Court of the Fire Kingdom to keep the peace between their two countries and leave their engagement intact. After all, we want them to actually GET to the altar, right? In case you were wondering, yes, the rating will go up to T for, possibly, language or gore or situations, and if the muse makes me do it, I may flirt with the line of M. I don't actually know since I feel I probably wouldn't do it any justice ^^; We shall see though.

And now that I've probably written as much in explanations as I did in storytelling, I just have one more thing to say (right after my creative little quip about feeding the muse by reviewing which I would put together if only my brain wasn't swiftly turning to mush because it's 1:30 in the morning and I've been up for eighteen hours straight).

TBC


	2. Unexpected Allies

Hello, all! Here's the second chapter of Imperial! Sakura arrives at the capital of Fire Kingdom, apprehensive about meeting her future husband. But there's more to the place than meets the eye...and Sakura is going to find some unexpected help in some unexpected places. Or something ^^

Unbeta'd and all, I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I wish I could own Naruto. I think Kishimoto might not agree to that though.

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**Chapter 2: Unexpected Allies**

"Sakura, hold still!"

"Hey, how easy do you think it is to do that in the back of a moving supplies wagon, Ino?" Sakura retorted tartly, trying to hold onto something as the wagon lurched and rattled over the pitted path that was the last stretch of their journey from Konoha to Eien, the capital city of the Fire Kingdom. Mind drifting from the task at hand to her future residence, Sakura wondered if it was arrogance that had led the founders of the Fire Kingdom to name their capital city after the old language word for 'Eternal'.

"Sakura!"

"Sorry, sorry," the princess grumbled as she struggled to keep still and tried not to wince as a particularly rough jolt had Ino dragging the comb almost violently through her hair. "Remind me why we can't do this after we arrive at Eien?"

"There will be an escort at the city gates awaiting us, your Highness," a rather lanky man with a sharp face and dark spectacles spoke up from the front of the supplies wagon. "Konoha must present an appearance of dignity before the Fire Kingdom nobility, and doubtless the escorts will speak to their Imperial Majesties about you before you meet them. It is terribly important that we show them that Konoha is their equal on all counts."

"And this requires that I get my hair pulled out of my head on the back of a cart, Ebisu?" Sakura grumbled wryly, feeling rather chastised.

"It is necessary, your Highness."

She sighed. "Of course it is."

"Sakura, Ebisu is right. My family, especially my father, can take great stock in appearance of first meetings. Everything, down to which nobles he sends to meet us will speak volumes of his thoughts," Sasuke interjected, reining his horse in to speak to the girl on the cart.

"So I'd better sit through this and not complain?" Sakura quipped with a laugh that was cut off by another wince.

"It's for the best," Sasuke replied, a fleeting half-smile there and gone from his face like a lightning flash.

With another sigh, Sakura clamped her lips shut, allowing Ino to finish working the comb through her strawberry-cream locks and then begin the arduous process of braiding, curling, and pinning the tresses into a manner befitting a princess.

While she longed to keep her waterfall straight hair unbound or maybe put up with a single ribbon to keep her bangs out of her eyes, she knew it was best if Ino did fashion her hair into something more impressive. But when another pothole in the road nearly left her feeling as if her friend had taken a chunk out of her hair, she turned pained, viridian eyes on Sasuke, clearly pleading.

"Tell me more about the Fire Kingdom?" Sakura asked, biting her lip against another squeak of pain. "Something to get my mind off the torture."

The dark-haired teen flashed her another almost-smile as Ino grumbled about "Ungrateful princesses who don't seem to realize how hard I'm working."

"What would you like to know, Sakura?"

"Tell me…" her earlier thought flashed into her mind. "Tell me about Eien. Why is it called that?"

"Eien, it's the archaic word for 'eternal', and the reason behind the name of the city is linked to the magic of its royal family. My family. You remember my powers right, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, glancing to the girl for confirmation.

"Your family has the ability to manipulate fire and occasional episodes of precognition, a power that is passed through the family bloodline and called the Sharingan," Sakura replied, rattling off the answer as if she was being quizzed by one of her lesson masters from her childhood.

"Right. But the Sharingan possessed by my brother is called the Mangekyo Sharingan because, on top of the other abilities, he has the power of creating powerful illusions based on the memories of his subjects."

"Wait, what about you?" Sakura interrupted.

This time, Sasuke's smile was a full on smirk. "I do not lose out to my brother, Sakura. I am well on my way to mastering the Mangekyo Sharingan myself."

"Anyway," he continued, giving the seventeen-year-old girl an admonishing look for breaking his train of thought, "my ancestors who founded the city of Eien were masters of an even more powerful version of the Mangekyo Sharingan known as Eien no Mangekyo Sharingan. The Eien comes with all the powers of Mangekyo without draining the mage or turning him blind if misused, and can be channeled to change the very fabric of reality. It is reputed that they hid the secret of obtaining the Eien no Mangekyo Sharingan in the Imperial Palace somewhere, and the city that grew up around the capital was thus named after it."

"Is it truly hidden there?" Sakura blurted out, blushing immediately afterwards on realizing she had just asked Sasuke to reveal important state secrets to her.

But the obsidian-eyed male just shrugged, not looking the least bit affronted by her question. "I don't know. I haven't found any traces of hints or clues to lead me to believe so, but who knows?"

Sakura lapsed into silence, her eyes taking on a rather unexpected gleam. Catching her expression, Sasuke muffled a groan. He and Naruto had seen that particular look on the princess' face on many occasions. It usually meant her headstrong nature was coming to the fore and they were about to be dragged into whatever scheme Sakura had in mind. In that sense, she and Naruto were utterly alike, though Sakura's plots were generally intellectual and puzzle-related while Naruto's tended more towards the harebrained.

"I'm done, Sakura," Ino announced, breaking the princess out of her thoughts as Sasuke sighed a quiet sigh of relief. "Now let's get off this rattling trap of doom. I feel like my bones have been shaken to pieces."

The two girls quickly hopped off the back of the wagon, easily mounting their horses without slowing the train in the least, Ino more quickly than Sakura as the blonde was not hampered with a sidesaddle.

"Glad this is the last stretch," the rosy-headed girl muttered under her breath as she settled herself comfortably in the saddle of her chestnut bay, Kestrel. "I hate riding sidesaddle." But, with the formal gown she was wearing, there was no help for it.

The gown seemed terribly impractical, made of rose and cream satin with sheer chiffon sleeves; the front of the satin bodice decorated with buttons of silver and gold molded into the shape of the Leaf pattern that denoted Konoha's royal family. Her feet were incased in fawn-hued leather boots that felt soft as butter, her hands adorned by pale cream kid gloves that hid her usual riding and swordplay calluses. Around her shoulders was draped a cloak of Royal Forest Green, the hem embroidered with the Leaf symbol and matching Leaf clasps holding the cloak shut at her throat. Sakura was the first to admit that the outfit was most definitely impressive, but also the first to say that it was utterly impractical. Sitting there in her sidesaddle, she longed for the dark breeches that allowed her to ride her horse in true comfort.

"Smooth your expression, Sakura," Kakashi murmured cheerily as he slowed his horse to match her pace. "I doubt the Fire Kingdom escorts want to see a pouting princess arriving from Konoha."

"I'm not pouting!" Sakura yelped, rounding on the Guard commander, only to be met with a serene smile. She deflated. "Okay, I was pouting a little. But I just don't like riding sidesaddle. I'm not used to it."

"It's just for a few days," the silvery-haired Guard commander reassured her. "And afterwards only when you need to look particularly regal. I don't believe the imperial family will mind of you riding in a regular saddle if you wear the breeches under your riding gowns."

"That's good to know," the viridian-eyed girl sighed with relief. "I'd hate-,"

A lilting fanfare interrupted them, Sakura's gaze leaving Kakashi's face to snap to the fore and scan the road. The sight that met her eyes made her stiffen.

A bevy of richly dressed individuals stood or sat astride horses at the gates to Eien, exuding an aura of perfumed richness that Sakura knew she and her escort, traveling for nearly a week on the open roads from Konoha to the Fire Kingdom, could not hope to match.

The very contrast of the Fire Kingdom envoy compared to her own Konoha delegation suffocated her for a second, before her indomitable personality reasserted itself and she felt steel stiffen her spine.

"Mother and Father must hope the engagement will be a solid one," Sasuke said with a tone that reflected a satisfaction that surprised Sakura. "They have sent my cousin and the Imperial mage to meet us."

"Greetings, your Royal Highness, members of the Konoha Court," a dark-haired young lord with the same pale complexion and features as Sasuke stated as soon as the Konoha party was in earshot, "I am Uchiha Shisui of Shunshin and my companion is Hoshigaki Kisame of Kiri. We greet you in the name of the Imperial family, their Majesties, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, and your fiancé, his Highness, Uchiha Itachi."

Sakura, flicking her eyes to Kisame, took in the mage's visage. It was obvious to her that he was one who had gained complete mastery of his magic, merging with a patron animal like her parents had. The gills and razor-sharp teeth were particularly telling, as well as the faint blue-grey tinge to his skin. Tearing her eyes away, she forced herself to focus on the formal conversation at hand. Nudging her mare, Kestrel, to the front of her train, she approached until she was close enough not to have to shout before sliding from her saddle to stride purposefully to the two men who dismounted to meet her halfway.

As they drew near, she sank into a fluid curtsey, the best she had ever executed.

"I am Sakura of Konoha, representative of the Royal family of Konoha," she spoke as she rose from her curtsey, "and I greet you in their names, their Majesties, my parents, King Jiraiya and Queen Tsunade, and his Highness, my brother, Prince Naruto. With me are a number of my court and a handpicked escort, among their number, the Prince Uchiha Sasuke of the Imperial family of the Fire Kingdom."

A softness in Shisui's eyes startled her; she could see that Sasuke had been family to Shisui. Thinking of the relationship her knight Neji used to have with his uncle, Lord Hiashi, she couldn't help but be relieved that Sasuke hadn't shared that particular fate, especially after having left the Imperial Court to fulfill the accord of a peace treaty drawn up by their parents around the same time as the betrothal had taken place.

"I speak for myself and the Imperial family when I say that Sasuke-kun is welcome," Shisui responded, nearly slipping out of formal speech. "But I realize that you must be weary from your journey. Their Imperial Majesties have already prepared chambers for your escort as well as other comforts and wish you to relax before joining them for a feast this evening, held in your honor."

Comforts. Sakura knew exactly what that meant in the Imperial Court: bathes. Long, hot bathes to soak in, perfumed by oils, and perhaps a massage. Pleased by the thought, she nodded her head with a quick smile. "After a week on the road, my court and I would be most pleased to accept their Majesties' hospitality."

Shisui surprised her by flashing her an answering grin, though his formal speech was back in place and as regal and imperial as it had ever been. "Your Highness, please, let us escort you to the comforts my Emperor and Empress have provided."

=*~*~*=

Several hours later, Sakura glanced into the large mirror embedded into her dressing room wall and sighed with a mixture of awe and trepidation.

Gone, or so it appeared, was the travel-weary girl with the dust of the road still lingering on her features, the gown she wore just a touch rumpled by long hours in the side saddle. In her place, a princess with butter-smooth skin and clear features stood, nearly as luminescent as a pearl from the ocean in a gown of flowing rose-and-sage silk and a sheer mist-linen cloak. Intricate lace rested upon her hair like frost on roses. Her strawberry-cream tresses were styled in the Fire Kingdom manner of women, her long hair piled on top of her head in a complex pattern of braids and coils laced with leaves made of gold and silver.

She looked every inch as imperial as if she had lived in Eien all her life, minus perhaps the clothing. Those were still styled in the Konoha fashion. The small reminder of home gave her strength.

She may have entered a foreign empire with the express purpose of forming a marriage alliance with the Imperial Prince (as enumerated in certain subsections of the latest treaty between Konoha and Fire), but even in rich gowns and exquisite jewelry, she was still Sakura. There would always be that part of her that strode through palace halls in breeches and rode her mare bareback through the forest, hated doing needlepoint and felt more comfortable with a dagger or sword in her hands.

The impish grin that flitted across her elfin features ruined the image of the regal princess that reflected in the mirror, but, sweeping out of her chambers with victory in her mind (what sort of victory she didn't actually taken the time to assess in case she discovered more volatile thoughts than she needed at the moment), Sakura couldn't bring herself to care.

Several minutes later, Sakura regretted not taking a moment to at least ask one of the guards by her door for directions to the main hall, or the side chamber where the rest of her escort party would be meeting up. She was rather well and truly lost.

Glancing out one of the second story windows to discover a pretty vista of the noble district of Eien, Sakura almost didn't hear the quiet footsteps of another person in the hall until they were directly behind her. She spun around, nerves tingling with adrenaline, and stifled a gasp of surprise.

It was the tall mage she had seen before with Shisui.

"Your Highness," he greeted, polite enough, which felt weird to Sakura. He'd looked like he would be less polished and more…outspoken (to put it nicely).

"Good evening," she returned with a slight incline to her head in response to his bow. She _was _a princess after all, and visiting royalty at that. She didn't need to be dipping him curtsies as she would for the court mages and higher-ranking lords of her own country. "I believe Lord Shisui introduced us?"

"Yes. You are Princess Sakura and I am the Imperial Court Mage, Kisame." He raised an amused eyebrow at her placid, nonjudgmental expression. "You seem…lost," he said, changing whatever he was going to say at the last minute. "Need help finding your way to the Great Hall?"

"If you please," Sakura replied, this time dipping a curtsey. She was accepting help and it had been gracious of him to propose aid. He did not offer his arm though, so she fell into step beside him as he led the way in the opposite direction as the one she'd been traveling in. "You are…different from what I'd imagined," she said when the silence became oppressive. '_Just because I'm in another country, doesn't mean I can't speak my mind a little,_' she reasoned when her conscience came to bite her for speaking out of turn.

The mage chuckled. "Is that princess-talk for 'You look hideous'?" he asked.

Genuinely surprised, Sakura flicked aspen-leaf eyes at him from below long lashes to check if he were merely joking or truly offended. '_Joking. That's strange. Didn't Ebisu describe all these nobles as formal? Maybe they're not as stiff-necked as he says._'

"No, I see nothing wrong with your appearance," Sakura said placidly, her green eyes serious as she matched his pace, managing (just barely) not to break into an undignified shuffle to keep up. The tall man's legs were in proportion to his height and he could have easily outstripped her in seconds if he'd chosen. "Mother, Father, and many of the court mages at home are the same as you yourself. Bound to patron animals. Lady Tsume Inuzuka can literally sprout fangs when she's angry, and Father…" reminded of the family she had left behind, Sakura could only manage a wan smile as she finished, "Let's just say that, while it takes a lot to get on Father's bad side, no one enjoys being there once they've arrived."

"Your kingdom sounds really…unrestrained," Kisame said, with a raised eyebrow to indicate his feelings. "Very few people in the Fire Kingdom are like that. I think some of the nobles at the gate with me and Shisui today were expecting you to startle."

"It's a good thing I was prepared for the surprise then, isn't it," Sakura replied, her impish nature showing through in the flickering laughter in her eyes, though she smothered her grins with a less revealing smile.

Dark eyes flickered to her face, and then she really was startled when, without warning, Kisame burst into quiet chuckles.

"You'll do fine, little hime," he said when he stopped laughing. "I think others might have been worried about you, but you'll do fine." He grinned when Sakura opened her mouth to question him. "Worry about that later," he said, waving her questions off. "The Imperial Court isn't as relaxed as yours sounds, but with that hidden sarcasm of yours, I think you'll do fine."

Sakura's chin lifted as she looked down her nose at him, a skillful feat since he towered over her by at least a good foot or more. "I'm glad to see I have _your_ approval," she retorted tartly, her brain already turning over his comment about people worrying over her at top speed. "No one need worry about me. I am seventeen. I am fully capable of handling myself, lord mage."

Kisame chuckled. "Of course not. And its just Kisame. Only lesser nobles call me lord mage. As visiting royalty, just Kisame is fine."

Sakura nodded at the advice. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you," she murmured as they stopped at the side chamber where the rest of her entourage waited.

"Be seeing more of you soon," Kisame said easily as he stepped out of the range of quiet words and entered the Great Hall ahead of her.

Sakura, feeling strangely thrilled by the short, but entertaining, encounter, swept into the side room without another word.

=*~*~*=

"Her Royal Highness, Haruno Sakura, Princess of Konoha!" the herald cried.

Silence had descended upon the chamber with her entrance, reigning as she and the other members of her entourage strode down the central aisle of the hall and stopped before the Imperial dais before the monarchs. As Fire Kingdom manners dictated, Sakura kept her head down as she swept a regal curtsey, keeping her gaze on the foot of the stairs leading up to the dais as she waited for the Emperor to give permission for her to raise her head. As only a princess of visiting royalty and not the King and Queen of Konoha, she could not keep her chin raised to them unless she wanted to appear terribly disrespectful. She was, after all, not their equal in status.

Beside her, Sasuke stood, his head also slightly bowed.

The other members of her escort not being royalty themselves, were kneeling as ladies and knights did; in the Konoha fashion as when they pledged themselves to a king.

"His Imperial Highness, Uchiha Sasuke of Susanoo, Prince of the Fire Kingdom. His Grace, Lord Sir Hatake Kakashi of the White Fang, Commander of the Jounin Guard. Lord Sir Kakuan Yamato of ANBU."

Sakura let the noise of the herald announcing the various members of her royal party filter through her ears, her eyes trained on the stairs and hoping no one could see her lips tremble slightly in uncertainty. In this opulent court of imperial nobles, she still felt strangely out of place, even knowing that, if all went well, she would someday sit at her husband's right hand as Empress.

Perhaps it wasn't all that strange though. She was a princess of Konoha, and things were done differently there.

'_Let's think of changing laws and rules later, Sakura,_' she reminded herself sharply. '_Try to actually _get_ this marriage over with first._'

If the situation hadn't been so solemn and formal, Sakura might have laughed. In spite of being so apprehensive about this betrothal, she was still urging herself to go through with it so she could 'fix' things in the Fire Kingdom. 'Healer mentality' her mother would have called it.

"Please, raise your heads," a melodious voice requested, cutting into Sakura's thoughts. "We would like to see the faces of our royal cousin, our son, and their envoy."

And so, for the first time in six years, Sakura looked up to the Emperor and Empress of the Fire Kingdom.

The Emperor was almost exactly as she remembered him from her childhood, a square-faced man with deep lines that indented his features, proof of the weight of the imperial crown and its duties that lay heavily on his shoulders. His dark eyes were as forbidding as she remembered them, surveying her with the measured manner of a man who was buying a horse. Sakura remembered to smile serenely up at the grim-faced man, but just barely. She did not like the lack of amusement she saw on the man's face.

The Empress, on the other hand, had changed a little since Sakura had been eleven, but was still the lovely woman famed over all the Eastern nations as the most beautiful queen in centuries. Her ebony hair was pulled back and coiled into even more intricate loops and coils than Sakura's, and liberally sprinkled with gold dust. The kimono she wore probably equaled the cost of the entire welcoming feast. And in spite of all this obvious opulence, Sakura liked her. There was a softness about the woman's mouth that said she was accustomed to smiling, and Sasuke was devoted to her. That said a lot to Sakura.

And then, as if her eyes were drawn to him, her gaze fell on the man standing serenely by the Empress' shoulder.

The same stress lines that appeared on the Emperor marred his face as well, making Sakura's thoughts twinge with sympathy. Regardless of his twenty-two years, it looked as though aiding his parents in ruling the empire was a duty he took seriously, and perhaps worked almost too hard for. He was dressed in somber, dark navy hues, the long-sleeved surcoat fastened with silver clasps that resembled the fan pattern that made up the emblem of the imperial house, the style of dress much more like modified Konoha garb than the robes and such worn by persons of the empire…

A shock ran through her frame at the belated realization. She was staring at her future husband.

"You honor us, Emperor Fugaku, Empress Mikoto," Sakura forced herself to reply, tearing her eyes away from the man by their side. "Your hospitality has been wonderful, and it is my pleasure to remain here in the Fire Kingdom, at your Majesties' disposal."

Nodding at her response, phrased in the formal manner, the two rulers opened the feast to the guests and stepped down from their thrones to make their way to the high table. Sakura followed them, with Sasuke and Kakashi at her side, as the rest of her entourage turned and left to mingle with the nobles of the Imperial Court.

"Don't be nervous," Sasuke murmured as they approached the high table.

"I'm not," she whispered back out of the corner of her mouth.

He flashed her a look of thinly veiled surprise. "Oh good," he mumbled under his breath, sarcasm evident in every syllable. "Not like you should be or anything…"

About to reply, Sakura bit back her response as they came into earshot of the table.

"Hello, Princess Sakura."

"Hello, your Majesties," Sakura responded with a curtsey. "It is very nice to see you again."

"Same to you, your Highness," the Emperor said as he took a seat and motioned for the others to join him.

Sakura glanced around quickly, noticing that eight places made up the high table. The Emperor and Empress took the middle seats, Sasuke and Itachi on either side of them. Then there was Shisui, herself, Kakashi, and a woman with sapphire blue hair on the other side of the table. And in very little time, Sakura found herself seated face to face with the Empress of the Fire Kingdom.

"Princess Sakura, how many years has it been since our last meeting?" she asked as servers began bringing out platters of venison steak in rich peanut sauce.

"Six years, your Majesty," Sakura replied with a shy smile. She'd always liked the Empress, who could be as kind as anybody in spite of her rank and status. Having been raised from the position of a lowly baron's daughter to the Emperor's wife, she was down-to-earth for a noble. "It is nice to be here in the Fire Kingdom again."

"I'm glad you think so," the Empress said with a smile. "I have been looking forward to seeing you again after all these years."

"Me?" Sakura asked, her emerald eyes going bright with surprise. "You honor me, your Majesty."

"Nonsense," the older woman laughed gently. "You are exactly the sort of woman I was myself at your age. But enough about that," the Empress said dismissively, waving a hand as she glanced surreptitiously from Sakura to her two sons. "How has my son, Sasuke-kun, been these last four years?"

With a laugh of her own, Sakura began telling the Empress about what had happened in Konoha for the past four years with Sasuke at the royal palace.

=*~*~*=

"Greetings, your Royal Highness."

Sakura glanced up from where she sat at one of the hall's wide window ledges, taking a breather. The banquet had ended a while ago, but the entertainments had continued while the guests had mingled and talked and fruits, desserts, and tea were served. But the heat of the room had gotten to her, and she had taken a seat on the window ledge to relax a little.

Though, it now looked as if she wasn't going to get as much rest as she'd hoped for.

"Hello," Sakura replied with her best princess face on. "I don't believe we've met? But…I believe you know who I am…"

The crimson-haired woman smiled a thin, sharp smile as she bowed in the Fire Kingdom way, her manner much different from what Sakura was used to in Konoha. "My name is Kagura Karin, Countess of Hebi. The Court is very pleased to meet you, your Majesty. As am I. How are you liking Eien so far?"

Sakura's answering smile was much kinder than the one Karin turned on her, though she didn't really feel like smiling. "Eien is wonderful. I have never seen such a beautiful city," she replied honestly as she glanced out the window at the bright vista below her. "It's so very lit up at night."

"Indeed, it is," Karin said, gracefully sitting down next to the younger girl without being invited.

Sakura, noting the subtle rudeness, said nothing.

"But, wouldn't it be lovely to see the night sky in its natural glory sometime?" Karin asked finally when Sakura didn't appear to wish to say anything. "I am having a most wonderful little moon-viewing party in two days. Please, do allow me to extend an invitation to you, your Highness."

"I thank you, Lady Karin. I would be delighted to be attending your moon-viewing party." Sakura's eyes flashed stormy for just a second, though her smile remained sweet and serene. "Moonlight is so agreeable for conversing in, isn't it?"

"It is indeed," Karin replied with another sharp smile. "I am honored by your acquiescence to attend. I shall see you by the riverside the evening after next at eight. Now, by your leave…" And, rising to her feet with another Fire Kingdom bow, the countess swept out of sight.

"You shouldn't have agreed."

"I…I beg your pardon?" Sakura asked, standing to face the newcomer. She recognized the serene, cerulean-haired woman who had sat beside her during the evening meal, though Sakura had not had a chance to speak to her, having been diverted by the Empress, Sasuke, and Duke Shisui seated beside her. "Perhaps I have not been quite properly educated in the ways of the Fire Kingdom. In Konoha, there is little to say against a simple moon-viewing party."

The woman, drawing closer, smiled in a way that was at once both kind and worldly-wise. "In Konoha, perhaps. But, we did not get properly acquainted during dinner. I am Shikigami Konan, the Duchess of Rain Country."

'_Duchess of Rain…Duchess of Rain…why does that title sound so…_important?' Sakura wondered to herself as she made her own introduction back. '_Duchess of…OH!_'

She gasped. "The Angel of Rain!"

"I see you've made the connection," Konan said. "Yes, I am she."

The emerald-eyed girl flushed a pale rose. "Your Grace, please, let me congratulate you on your upcoming marriage to the King of Rain Country."

"Thank you," Konan replied with a warm smile, her tawny, dark-amber eyes softening in a way that made Sakura's cheeks color even darker still.

'_She really loves him…_'

"But, my engagement is hardly the topic of our conversation. It would have maybe been to your advantage to decline Karin-san's invitation."

"Is there any particular reason for it?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Perhaps moon-viewing parties are done differently in Konoha," Konan said serenely, "but in the Fire Kingdom, they are a very formal affair. Men and women appear in their loveliest apparel to ride opulent barges on the river. All manner of sweets and alcohols and teas are served, and it is traditional, _traditional_, your Highness, for all members of the party to wear robes in the Fire Kingdom style. I do believe you've been set up."

Sakura's green eyes were grim as she turned them to the other woman. "Perhaps I have been. If that is the case, I can only make my apologies and wear whichever of my garments is most like the Fire Kingdom's traditional attire."

"You do not have to do that if you do not wish."

"I'm sorry…what?"

Konan glanced down to the window ledge Sakura had so recently vacated. "Perhaps I can explain while we are seated. You see," she continued once they'd taken their places at the window, "I have been here, in Fire Kingdom, at my liege's request. Over the course of the weeks I have gathered a decently sizable collection of robes. They are adjustable so that you can easily wear one of mine." Her smile turned impish. "There is no need for you to feel such shame at Lady Karin's moon-viewing party."

Sakura hesitated.

"I'm not doing this for favors, if that's what you think," Konan said placidly.

The Konoha princess flushed. The thought _had_ crossed her mind.

Konan smiled, reassuring the other girl that she was not offended. "A favorable marriage between yourself and the Imperial Prince is great, but more than that, I hate people who use underhanded tactics to get what they want. Rain Country may sound harsh to some people," she added with a sharpness to her voice that surprised Sakura, "but Pein always leads by taking the most direct actions. And for that…"

She trailed off, leaving a rather shy Sakura seated beside her.

"Will you come to my suite of chambers tomorrow?" Konan asked presently. "We can pick out a suitable robe for you and I will tell you more about the nuances of life in the Imperial Court."

Glancing from the opulent splendor in the Great Hall to the woman beside her, Sakura smiled. "I'd like that."

TBC

* * *

Not that much Itachi in this chapter, sorry! But he's going to appear a ton in the next chapter, so please stay tuned! Also put some Konan and Shisui and Kisame in this fic ^^ I've decided I like turning Kisame and Konan into Sakura's older-sibling figures XD Don't worry, I know I made a lot of Konoha ninjas as citizens of the Konoha nation, but there are plenty of people I'm putting in the Fire Kingdom, so don't worry! And...oh yeah, this inspired a few NejiSaku ideas, so there might be a bit of that in a different story that'll probably show up in Hiwaya. I think I'm going to call it Otherworld.

Please check out the profile poll ^^

Username change to **Aria Illusine** happens **April 1, 2010** so keep your calendars marked!!

And...the muse does appreciate cookies and reviews to fuel her works!

Aria, out.


	3. Indomitable Spirits

Hi, all! The third chapter of Imperial is here! Sakura's attempts to find the stable and riding yard end up leading her to a strange encounter, one that leaves Sasuke, at least, feeling rather less than happy. And later, her visit to Konan's chambers leads to an interesting conversation.

Unbeta'd but hopefully still acceptable! Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not doing this for profit, instead doing this for fun. I wish I owned Naruto, but I don't.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Indomitable Spirits**

"This palace needs a map."

In the privacy of the deserted corridor, Sakura allowed herself a fierce frown of annoyance. It wasn't' that she had a bad head for directions, it was more that hallways here had a tendency to open up into courtyards, gardens, tea parlors, and, on one truly memorable occasion, a bathhouse.

Thankfully, she had chanced upon the female bathing area.

But it had been over an hour since she'd left her chambers, and she didn't feel any closer to the riding yard than she had while craning to see it through one of the windows of her suite.

"This is ridiculous," Sakura fumed, storming around a corner full of indignation, only to gasp with surprise at the sight that met her eyes.

She had walked into another garden, but this one was unlike any she had previously seen.

A granite, cobblestone path wound off into thick foliage, the garden at all sides filled with trees that she was accustomed to seeing in Konoha. Maples, aspens, and the occasional willow tree shaded the pathway that dotted the grass. The sound of running water and the scent of flowers reached her from farther in the verdant arbor.

Her eyes wide with wonderment, their shade matching the hue of the sun-soaked leaves around her, Sakura walked down the winding path, drawn in by the garden's nostalgic beauty. It reminded her so clearly of the home she had left behind, beguiling her with its loveliness. A spray of moonflowers at the base of a silver linden tree drew her eyes, tempting her from the pathway; the call of songbirds led her in another direction. Meanderingly, Sakura made her way down the cobblestone path, until she reached a clearing that made her breath catch in her throat.

A lake, most likely the work of a powerful mage (after all, there were few lakes in Fire Kingdom and it was preposterous that the Imperial family of old had built their palace on a water-system), spread its silvery waters over the central section of the garden. On the side nearest her, the path ended at the base of a slender tree that shaded an ornate, stone bench. The pristine melding of nature and human creation made her realize that the garden was almost like a mage's work of art.

But it was the figure at the tree's base that made her breath stall.

He stood with his back to her, one hand resting on the tree's rough bark as he gazed into the water of the lake, but his silhouette and the mantle of power he wore made him unmistakable. Nor was it lost on Sakura the fan-emblem that decorated the back of his ebony surcoat.

Uchiha Itachi was an imposing figure, even at a distance.

But the moment seemed like a private one, so Sakura slipped back into the trees. She would give him space, though she couldn't help the curiosity that made her glance back over her shoulder at him. They hadn't ever spoken, not really anyway. Six years ago, Itachi had been studying under mage-masters and battle masters, and they had not seen each other aside from state dinners where the conversation was markedly reserved. And during their betrothal, they had not met. She still had the letter he had sent her during the formal proceedings, she had brought it with her to Fire 'for luck' and such things, but letters were not the same as actual conversation.

She would have liked to speak with him in private.

"Sakura-hime, please wait."

Sakura stiffened imperceptibly, then turned, dipping her future husband a deep curtsey. "Your Highness. I didn't mean to intrude."

"You do not intrude upon me, hime," the dark-haired man replied as he stepped away from the lake's edge to meet Sakura halfway as she stepped into the shade of the clearing's only tree.

His eyes were a dark cobalt, regarding her without judgment or disdain, nothing more than mild curiosity in their depths. And even that was well hidden. At such a distance, she could see that the lines on his face were not as deep as the ones that marked his father. Other than those, he was much more like his mother with sharp eyes and lips that looked as though they ought to have been more accustomed to smiling than the solemn expression that graced his features now.

Realizing that her eyes rested contemplatively on his lips, Sakura tore her eyes away, trying not to blush. "What does that mean?" she asked, trying to cover the awkward moment. "Hime."

"It is the archaic word for princess," Itachi explained as he offered her a seat at the bench that Sakura took without a word. "In the Fire Kingdom, we use such words as honorifics, to denote rank."

"Like titles in Konoha," Sakura said, folding her hands on her lap.

"Very much like."

And then there was little conversation to make, so they lapsed into a silence, Sakura regarding the garden lake – it was really more of a pond, but it had all of a lake's majesty – and feeling rather uncomfortable.

"Does this remind you of Konoha?"

Sakura glanced up through her lashes at Itachi, hoping her expression didn't reveal how startled she was. She hadn't though he would break the silence.

"Yes…the style of this garden reminds me of home. It's lovely," she told him with genuine feeling, "though I didn't expect it here. The other gardens I've walked into today have all been in the Fire Kingdom style, but this one…"

"I'm glad you find it pleasant, it-."

"Sakura-hime! Hime?" The familiar sound of Karin's voice brought Sakura to her feet like a shot, her face going pale. After her conversation with Duchess Konan, she was less than willing to face the crimson-haired noblewoman, and Karin's very presence in this reminder of Konoha made Sakura's skin crawl in rebellion.

A light touch to her shoulder made Sakura whirl around.

"Come, follow my lead."

"Sakura-hime?"

Karin strode into the clearing, an unfamiliar man by her side.

He towered over her, taller than any of the nobles of the Imperial Court, taller than even Kisame. Orange, windswept hair framed his broad, honest face as he followed the noblewoman with careful steps, avoiding the patches of grass that showed between the cobblestones. Scanning the clearing, he shrugged. "Are you sure this is where the Konoha Princess went, Karin-san? I do not see anybody here."

The crimson-haired girl flashed him an angry look, though it was all too obvious that he was right.

The clearing was deserted.

"I'm almost certain she walked into this garden," Karin insisted. "Come on, Juugo. I _must_ speak with her."

In the concealing branches of the tree by the lakeside, Sakura breathed shallow breaths and tried to make no noise whatsoever. She had been a little surprised by Itachi's decision, but her desire to avoid Karin had overridden her feelings at the strange turn of events.

Feeling herself slipping, she squirmed into a more comfortable perch, a booted foot brushing a stray branch. Leaves rustled softly.

"Hush."

The word, whispered in her ear as a warm arm snaked around her waist, stilled her tiny movements, reminding her of just the situation she was in. She was sitting in a tree branch on her fiancé's lap with one of his arms around her waist as they tried their best to blend into the verdant foliage around them. His warmth soaked into her back, and his quiet breathing stirred the strands of strawberry-cream hair that the servants had piled into a more casual hairstyle of braids crowning her head with the majority of her hair flowing freely down her back today. Feeling Itachi's soft breaths feather warmly against the shell of her ear, Sakura wished she had asked the servants to style her hair differently. Maybe in a way where her fiancé's distracting presence would be…less distracting with proximity.

It was a strange mix of relief and disappointment that flooded her when Karin and the man named Juugo finally left the garden.

"What was wrong with our staying to meet Lady Karin and the other man?" Sakura asked as she accepted Itachi's help down from the tree. While she was a skilled tree-climber, she didn't usually clamber up and down them in her riding gowns, the skirts tangling around her legs distractingly as she tried to get down until she was forced to take Itachi's hand (the discovery that his palm was marked with calluses that spoke of intense weapon training that made hers pale in comparison was even more distracting than her skirts) as he effortlessly swung her from the tree's branches. "We were only talking…"

Itachi shook his head in dissent. "You and I are betrothed," he told her with impossible politeness. "We have not yet been introduced, nor do we have a chaperone. In the eyes of the court, our behavior is…very forward."

Sakura wished the ground would swallow her up. '_I am supposed to represent my father and mother, my entire kingdom, in front of this man…and my behavior turns out to be forward. The _last_ thing I need._' Forcing herself not to nibble her lip out of habit, or go pale with her feelings of shame, Sakura bowed her head respectfully as she apologized. "Forgive me, your Highness. I did not realize."

Her viridian eyes widened when the Imperial Prince returned the gesture, bowing over the hand he still held in his gentle grasp. "There is nothing to forgive, hime." He straightened and Sakura, heartbeat racing, wished her riding and swordplay calluses were softer as her skin slid against his and he finally released her hand.

His lips parted and Sakura winced internally, steeling herself for the question about the calluses on her hands that she thought she'd grown used to by now. Some nobles seemed surprised when they learned that a princess rode without riding gloves and could decently wield a blade when necessary. But it was not questions that he voiced.

"As my fiancée, there is no reason for you not to refer to me by name."

Heat suffused Sakura's cheeks. From what she had learned from Sasuke during the trip to Eien and her lessons with Ebisu earlier, the use of given names was a sign of intimacy that was granted specially by individuals of higher rank to those of lower rank. Anyone of a higher rank could refer to an individual of lower rank with their title and given name, the same way Sakura could refer to the crimson-haired woman who had nearly stumbled upon the royal pair as 'Lady Karin'.

Or, the blush that painted Sakura's cheeks deepened slightly, in the way that Itachi referred to her as 'Sakura-hime' instead of as 'Highness'.

But it would have been the height of rudeness for _her_ to refer to _Itachi_ as 'Prince Itachi' without being given leave to use his given name. The meaning of his quietly spoken words was not lost on her, and she was almost certain he was aware of her understanding. She knew the knowledge of it must be clear on her face.

"I… Thank you; you honor me, your Highness," she said, bringing every bit of princess training she had undergone for the past seventeen years to push aside her surprise and respond with the graciousness that matched her rank. "But, I have no knowledge of what honorific is appropriate for addressing a prince."

"Kou," Itachi told her, and she knew he was somehow pleased, by her reaction or her words she did not know. The quirk of his lips, the hint of a smile, was there and gone so quickly she nearly missed it, but the warm flicker in his eyes remained, telling her what she had seen was true.

Sakura, her viridian eyes trained on his dark-cobalt ones, swept her best curtsey yet, managing to make the gesture every bit as regal as if she had been wearing an outfit of the richest silks and satins, instead of just a plain, forest-green riding gown. But her lips couldn't resist the impish grin that settled on them as she inclined her head to her future husband. "Thank you for the honor, Itachi-kou."

"I-,"

"Aniki? Sakura?"

Startled (would she ever stop being surprised this morning?), Sakura whirled around, her expression melting from perturbed to pleased as she realized who it was. "Sasuke! Good morning."

"Good morning, Sakura-hime," the younger Uchiha replied, receiving a raised eyebrow from the princess he had known for the past four years. Sakura's confusion was understandable; Sasuke had never, in all their years living under the same palace roof, referred to her with a title in archaic Fire as he did with Naruto.

"It is…unusual to see you in the company of my brother," Sasuke's eyes flickered from her to the man standing behind her. "Alone."

"You misunderstand, otouto," Itachi replied smoothly before Sakura had a chance to open her mouth. "Sakura-hime happened upon this garden while I was here and we stopped for a moment to speak." Explanation given, he drew Sakura's gaze to his with a gentle hand on her elbow. "Please feel free to visit this garden again if it pleases you, and thank you for your company this morning."

Dipping him a curtsey, the dismissal was clear in his voice, Sakura nodded her assent. "Thank you, Itachi-kou. The pleasure has been all mine."

She let Sasuke offer her his arm as they walked away with mere courtesy parting words, wishing she could understand why the Imperial Prince had so suddenly dismissed her after the appearance of his younger brother. Hadn't their conversation gone well before then?

'_What a strange first meeting as betrotheds…_' Sakura's mind quipped; the thought was long in leaving her.

=*~*~*=

"We were hardly being inappropriate, Sasuke," Sakura sighed, gently picking out pins in her hair that kept the rosy tresses back.

"He allowed you to call him 'Itachi-kou'," her friend and fellow member of royalty shot back, his obsidian eyes searching as they scanned her features through the mirror Sakura stood before.

They were back in Sakura's chambers, discussing (with Ino and Kakashi as unofficial witnesses in case Sakura had a sudden urge to violence against one of her closest friends; she was trying hard not to let it show but she knew some of her irritation was making it through her princess mask) the morning's events. Sakura had been surprised at the mixed reaction she had gotten from Sasuke; his satisfaction that the betrothal seemed to be getting underway splendidly was expected, but his uncharacteristic irritation over Sakura's possible reputation was not. Back in Konoha, Sasuke had never questioned Sakura's innocence for a second; her consequence had been impeccable in her own kingdom. But Sasuke's reaction to finding her alone with his brother, even in so innocuous a location as one of the palace's gardens, had made her realize how differently the nobility in the Fire Kingdom viewed such things.

"Well, I _am_ his fiancé. Look, we only talked," she stressed for what felt like the thousandth time since leaving the garden. "That's it. Why are you so concerned about this?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

Sakura stiffened, turning away from the mirror she had been using to undo the coils in her hair to face Sasuke directly. "I see…"

He surprised her by crossing the distance between them in two steps and pulling her into a hug. In his arms, the rose-haired girl froze, then relaxed. Sasuke had never been one to really engage in much affectionate physical contact, and that worried her even as she hugged him back.

"The court here is not at all like Konoha's, Sakura," the dark-haired male said finally, releasing her after what felt like an age. "They will not give you the benefit of the doubt, or deem you innocent until proven guilty. Here, they rip you to shreds while they can, and your only choices are to avoid being torn from the start, or find a way to put yourself together again after the fact." His eyes were infinitely serious. "It's not like Konoha at all."

"I know that," Sakura sighed, trying to smile for her friend's sake as she slid a hand gently across one of his cheeks in a small, loving gesture. "I already had one woman try to trick me into a moon-viewing party. It's alright though," Sakura reassured when Sasuke's expression went stormy. "I won't shame myself; Duchess Konan of Rain has offered to lend me one of her kimono for the occasion."

"The Angel of Rain?" Ino asked, jumping into the conversation with interest now that Sasuke's forbidding lecture was over. "Why is she getting involved on the side of Konoha?"

"She says she helps me because she dislikes underhanded tactics," Sakura said thoughtfully. "I do believe her, but it seems somewhat strange that she is here if she likes straightforward dealings. Fire Kingdom is notorious for its occasionally duplicitous nobles, no offense meant," she added for Sasuke's benefit.

"None taken," he replied blandly. "It's the truth. Our court looks peaceable and opulent, but underneath are alliances and partnerships and an ever-changing web of influence. I can't change it, so what is the use of trying to lie about it."

"Do you want me to…" Ino trailed off, raising a single eyebrow meaningfully. While she was Sakura's best friend since they had been an earl's daughter and a young princess, Ino was also a member of Ibiki's inquiry team, trained to information gathering and interrogation. If Sakura wanted to know whether or not the Lady Konan's intentions were good, she could find out with a word.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Ino," Sakura told her friend with a wry smile. "I may not always have you here with me, especially not after the marriage, so I think I'll try my hand at stuff on my own before I request help, if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself," the blonde girl remarked to her friend with a small smile. "But if you _do _want my help, let me know."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't think I'll need it, at least in this case," she said decidedly. "Lady Konan has much more to gain from kindness towards me rather than becoming my enemy. I am Konoha's Royal Princess, as well as the future wife of the Fire Kingdom's Imperial Prince. She is the King of Rain's fiancée. It _could_ be the start of a future treaty between Rain Country and the Fire Kingdom, and possibly another treaty between Rain and Konoha."

"A good point, Sakura, but be careful nonetheless," Kakashi cautioned as Sasuke began pacing her chamber. "Your safety is of utmost importance."

Even with half her coiled hair now framing her face in soft curls, a mass of pins in her hands, Sakura looked stunningly beautiful as she strode to Kakashi's side and smiled happily up at him. "I know, Kakashi. I'll be careful. Don't worry, I have Yamato and the others here with me…"

Kakashi shook his head, his expression mild as he gently dragged his fingers through the soft waviness of Sakura's unpinned hair. "They aren't me," he told her softly, in an almost whisper.

The princess's ivy-hued eyes seemed to glimmer with sudden tears, just for a second, before the look disappeared and she crinkled her nose in an almost too-cute expression of disgruntled amusement. "Kakashi, you're getting very full of yourself in your old age if you think you are more than a match for Yamato of ANBU, as well as Shino and Neji of the Jounin Guard."

The moment between them was gone like a soap bubble bursting from the impact of a summer breeze, and the older man grumbled irritably at how he was hardly getting on in years to the laughter of the younger nobility.

Sakura, laughing along with the others, hid a sigh. She hadn't wanted to be reminded that she would be without Kakashi, Sasuke, and a number of her escorts starting tomorrow. Even with the others still accompanying her, it told her just how truly alone she was.

=*~*~*=

"I took the liberty of requesting that dinner be brought to my chambers," Konan said by way of greeting when she accepted Sakura into her rooms that evening. "I hope you do not mind."

"Dinner sounds lovely," Sakura replied with a serene smile. If the food were poisoned – not that she expected it to be, assassination had grown uncommon in the Imperial Court in the last decade – the gem she wore around her neck, a beautiful emerald that caught the light like a leaf in summertime, would warn her of it before she ingested anything dangerous.

Konan nodded her approval. "You have the right sort of mannerisms for an Imperial Princess, and future Imperial Empress."

"Thank you…"

"I take it such formality is not what you are used to," Konan commented when they were settled at a low table, seated on flat, embroidered cushions as the cerulean-haired woman poured them tea in ceramic mugs without handles.

A faint tint of pink danced across Sakura's cheeks as she did her best to hide her blush by taking a sip of the hot tea in front of her. The color was manageable by the time she set the cup down. "No, the court at Konoha is…Kisame, the court mage, described it as _unrestrained_. I suppose that's how it seems."

"Would it make you more comfortable if I were to be more…casual with you?"

At that, Sakura couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. "No, thank you, Lady Konan," she replied with a shake of her head. "It would be…strange is the best I can come up with."

Sakura almost didn't catch the light, bell-like laughter that fell from Konan's lips as servitors appeared at the door bearing carts that rattled with delicate china dishes.

The dishes were beautiful, but more lovely than the dishes themselves, painted with delicate patterns of flowers and bamboo in pale pinks and sage greens, was the food on top of them. Sakura had never seen such a wide array of delicacies in one place before; even in Konoha the fare for most days was plain and healthful, though always delicious. But food in the Fire Kingdom, especially for the nobility, was another affair entirely. And a far cry from what she was accustomed to.

Light broths flavored with shellfish were served along with slivers of raw fish, tuna, eel, and salmon to name a few types, on rice. Noodles in a spicy, peanut sauce sat on beds of salad greens. The thinnest slices of meat Sakura had ever seen in her life were arranged in a fan pattern on one large platter, dipping sauces available beside it. And those were just the dishes Sakura could identify on sight. Konan pointed out to her others, such as grilled anaconda medallions in plum sauce, deep fried slivers of boar on skewers with chunks of pineapple and paprika, mushrooms stuffed with melon and diced venison, and roast wild duck on a seasoned rice pilaf. Dessert was a spun-sugar globe that encased slices of preserved white peach arranged into the shape of a water lily.

The gem around her throat staying cool to the touch, a sure sign that nothing was poisoned, Sakura took a small plate for herself, and put a little of each dish onto it. Because there was such a variety of food for only two women, the serving sizes were small, but every dish was as deliciously prepared as if the chefs had been cooking for a banquet of royals rather than a foreign princess and the duchess of another land.

"What are the various honorifics used by the nobles?" Sakura asked when the servitors were gone and the two had made serious headway into their dinner.

"There are several titles," Konan said, her voice taking on a tone that told Sakura she was in for quite a lecture. "When you refer to a man or woman who is not of noble birth, such as merchants, artisans, and other craftsmen, the proper honorific is to attach 'san' to the end of their names. Noblemen and women, on the other hand, are given the title 'kata' which is much more polite. I'm certain you've already heard 'hime'…"

"Princess," Sakura filled in with a little smile, proud that her cheeks remained devoid of color, "and 'kou' is prince." This time she _did_ blush, the memories of her fiancé rising to the forefront of her mind unbidden.

"Indeed, you are correct," Konan told her approvingly, choosing to make no comment of the sudden pinkness in her dinner partner's cheeks. "The honorific 'sama' is reserved for the emperor and empress."

"What about knights? Or mages?" Sakura asked, her mind wandering to the conversation she had had with Kisame the day before. She hadn't had a chance to speak with him since then, but she relished their next conversation. He had been an interesting conversationalist, reminding her of Konoha with his relaxed manner of speech towards her as opposed to the more formal Fire Kingdom mannerisms.

"Knights are referred to with 'kei' if you wish to make the distinction, and mages go by 'shu', the same honorific used to refer to professors at the universities in Fire."

"That's confusing," Sakura said blandly as she tapped her chopsticks against the top of her dessert until the sugary shell crumbled into translucent shards. "Merchant-san, Lady-kata, Knight-kei, Mage-shu, Princess-hime, Prince-kou, and Emperor-sama."

Konan's lips quirked into a quick smile before she managed to smooth the expression away. "At least you have a good head for memorization. It will serve you well." Her smile became a laugh when Sakura made a disgruntled face, the rose-haired girl obviously not placated by Konan's remark.

"I do not suppose you know much about moon-viewing parties in Fire?" Konan ventured once she stopped laughing, Sakura sitting with a mock-pout on her features, though the quiver at the corner of her lips belied her desire to laugh too.

"My tutor, Ebisu-shu," Sakura grinned impishly as she made use of her new knowledge, "explained it a little this afternoon. What I got from it was that we ride onto the river on barges at night, watch the moon travel across the sky while drinking tea or alcohol, and eating desserts, and making hushed conversation. You told me all of this yesterday."

"Yes, but you must realize something, Haruno-hime," Konan said calmly, "The moon-viewing parties often last until dawn. And to fall asleep is…"

"Unacceptable?" Sakura groaned. "I knew it would be too easy if all I needed to do was make polite conversation until midnight…. I'll be fine," she reassured, catching Konan's coral gaze. "I will just…prepare by taking a long nap that afternoon."

The navy-haired woman couldn't help but smile. "Don't think that I pander to royalty when I tell you that I feel relieved that it is you who were chosen as Uchiha-kou's future wife."

Sakura flushed with pleasure as she gave Konan a shy smile in return. "Konan-kata, I…I don't know what to say."

"What is there that needs to be said?" Konan said with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "It is the truth that I believe you the most appropriate choice to be a future Empress of Fire Kingdom."

"Thank you for your confidence in me," the rose-haired girl replied politely, then wrinkled her nose. "I was very young when the betrothal agreement was drawn up. I didn't realize I was not the Fire Kingdom's only choice."

"There were a number of the women in the Imperial Court, and a princess from another country," Konan told her. "It is no wonder that there is little love for you among the women of court. Karin-kata especially. She was one of the few who were being considered."

"How do you know so much about the Imperial Court?" Sakura wanted to know as they finished up dinner. "I didn't think you spent much time here."

Konan's expression gave away nothing as she spoke. "When my parents passed away, I became Rain Country's new ambassador. I have visited this court many times."

"I'm…"

"It is nothing," the cerulean-haired woman said firmly, rising to her feet. "Now, do you not want to look at the robes I have available for you?" She pursed her lips thoughtfully as she gave Sakura a sharp, once-over. "One that, perhaps, is not blue."

Laughing, Sakura got up and followed the other woman into another chamber. "I'm fond of greens and reds," she remarked casually, grinning when Konan glanced over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Cream colors work too."

TBC

* * *

Interesting fact! I wrote the stuff about Sakura and Konan's dinner rather early in the morning, and made myself really hungry. Okay, maybe grilled anaconda medallions in plum sauce don't sound all too appetizing at eight in the morning, but when you've had dinner really early the night before, you're willing to imagine. I was actually going to make those grilled eel medallions, but my roommate pointed out that eels aren't big enough to turn into medallions. An eel cross section's really too little. So I told her I'd use big snakes instead. Yum ^^

All the dishes are actually variations on a number of Asian dishes/fusion dishes I've tried before, with little tweaks here and there. Except the anaconda medallions. Personally, though, I'd rather try the dessert ^^

Here's also a quick run-down on the honorifics I'm using (a few of them are deviations from regular honorifics) for the specific social classes.

-san: Merchants, artisans, craftsmen, basically anyone who isn't nobility but decently well off. Anyone who gets paid a wage can take this honorific.

-kata: Nobles, lords and ladies. Even nobility of other countries can take this honorific.

-kei: Knights, which include the bodyguards and military of the Fire Kingdom, and Sakura's ANBU and Jounin Guard.

-shu: Mages, scholars, and professors of university. Ebisu and Kisame are the only two characters I think I'll use this honorific for...and Kisame might not even want that.

-hime: Princess, pretty self-explanatory.

-kou: Prince, ditto.

-sama: Emperor and Empress. When Sasuke and Itachi talk to their parents, they refer to them as "Okaa-sama" and "Otou-sama" too.

The honorifics don't drop just because you're using a more personal name. The only time they do drop is to express a closeness between the two people, like Sasuke calling his brother 'Aniki', or later when Itachi calls Sakura just plain 'Sakura' instead of 'Sakura-hime' like he does now. Also, the rule is that higher class people can use other peoples' given names without getting their permission, while lower class people can't do the same thing without permission. I.e. Itachi can call Sakura 'Sakura-hime', but Sakura would have called Itachi, 'Uchiha-kou' instead of 'Itachi-kou' if he hadn't given her the permission to call him by his given name.

And now that I've rambled on a ton and have no one else left reading this...

The muse does love cookies and reviews! Please feed her!

Aria, out.


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